Scrutiny welcomes publication of concession agreement between Government and DFDS
Scrutiny
30 October 2025
The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel has welcomed the publication of the concession agreement signed by the Government of Jersey and ferry company DFDS in relation to the provision of the Island’s ferry service.The Panel first wrote to the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development on 3 September 2025 asking for the concession agreement to be released in the interest of transparency and public accountability.
At its Quarterly Public Hearing with the Minister in September, the Panel was told that only a redacted version of the agreement would be published by the department by the end of October, along with an explanatory note to explain some of the more complex elements of the agreement. The explanatory note would also confirm the reasons for redactions in parts of the document.
The Government has now published the agreement, and the explanatory note, on its website.
Deputy Montfort Tadier, Chair of the Panel, said: ‘Since DFDS were awarded the contract to run Jersey’s key routes to the UK and France, a number of serious questions and concerns have been raised with the Panel. My panel has been working hard and, I believe, doing a good job at holding the Minister to account over the situation. The publication of this document allows us to question the Minister further about the detail of the agreement without there being an added layer of complexity regarding what information can be shared. It will also allow all Islanders to feel empowered to hold the Government to account. For the past few months, the Panel has pushed strongly for the agreement to be released in the interest of transparency, and to allow for proper scrutiny, and feel strongly that the decision to release it is a result of that pressure.’
The Panel will now take the time to review the redacted contract and its accompanying documents following which it will consider its next steps. The Panel is considering further hearings with stakeholders to better understand the impact of the contract. This will direct the Panel’s work in this area.
